Shoe



L- A. HUARD SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1963 a J a A Q 4 o A ril 14, 1964 A. HUARD 3,128,567

SHOE

Filed Aug. 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2] INVENTOR.

25? 21 I Malay/4,1 In J? i/wij United States Patent 1 Claim. CI. 36-48) This invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to a blank for use in making a shoe.

The object of the invention is to provide a shoe blank which is adapted to be die cut or die formed in one step or operation so that the making of shoes can be economically and readily accomplished.

A further object is to provide a shoe blank of the type stated which can be used in making shoes of different styles, and wherein according to the present invention there is utilized a unique folded construction adjacent the tongue and facing portion and quarter portion so that certain of these portions can be made in a one step operation or die forming step whereby a completed or finished shoe can be readily provided in a more economical and rapid manner.

Still another object is to provide such a shoe blank that is economical to manufacture and which is foolproof and easy to utilize or assemble in forming the completed shoe.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claim, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustrating a shoe blank made according to the present invention and showing the portions of the shoe blank in extended or unfolded position,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1, and illustrating in broken lines the folded positions of certain of the parts,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing a step in utilizing the shoe blank and wherein a portion of the blank is illustrated in folded position and wherein a different portion is shown not yet folded and fastened in place,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the completed article,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan View of another modification,

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another modification, with parts broken away, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a still further modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 through 4 of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a shoe blank shaped to include a vamp portion 11 which is provided with a rounded outer edge 12, and formed integral with the vamp portion 11 is a rearwardly disposed tongue portion 13 of reduced size. Facing portions 14 are joined to the tongue portion 13 by means of fold or crease lines 15, and the numeral 16 designates each of a pair of quarter portions, the quarter portions 16 being joined to the facing portions 14 by fold lines 17. Aligned rows of apertures or openings 18 and 19 are provided in adjacent areas of the quarter portions 16 and facing portions 14, and these apertures are adapted to be used as eyelets so that shoe laces can be inserted therethrough as for example when the parts are in the position of FIGURE 4. With the parts in the position of FIGURE 4, the quarter portions 16 are adapted to be secured to the vamp portion 11 as for example by means of stitching 20.

3,128,567} Patented Apr. 14, 1964 ice Referring now to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modification wherein the shoe blank is indicated generally by the numeral 10, and the shoe blank 10 includes a vamp portion 11 which has a rearwardly disposed tongue portion 13 integral therewith, and facing portions 14' are joined to the tongue portion 13 by means of fold lines 15. Quarter portions 16' are made separate from the facing portions 14 instead of being joined thereto as is the case with the shoe blank 10 of FIGURE 1, and in FIGURE 5 the quarter portions 16 are adapted to be stitched to the vamp portion 11 in the same manner as is used in the arrangement of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated a further modified shoe blank which is indicated generally by the numeral 10", and it will be seen that in FIGURE 6 there is provided a vamp portion 11 as well as a rearwardly disposed tongue portion 13", and facing portions 14" are joined to the tongue portion 13 by fold lines 15". Quarter portions 16" are joined to the facing portions 14 by fold lines 17". There is also provided in FIGURE 6 elongated slits or cutouts 21 between the facing portions 14" and the rear end of the tongue portion 13". The rear edges of the vamp 11 are straight as indicated by the numeral 22.

Attention is now directed to FIGURE 7 of the drawings, where there is illustrated another modified shoe blank which is indicated generally by the numeral 10'", and the shoe blank 10" includes a vamp portion 11" as Well as a rearwardly arranged integral tongue portion 13". Facing portions 14 are joined to the tongue portion 13" by fold lines 15", and slits 21" are arranged between the facing portions 14" and the rear end of the tongue portion 13". Quarter portions 16" are joined to the facing portions 14" by fold lines 17". At the points 23, the quarter portions 16" are adapted to be stitched to the vamp portion 11", as for example after the parts have been folded, whereby such stitching will maintain the parts in their proper assembled folded position.

Referring now to FIGURE 8 of the drawings, there is illustrated a further modified shoe blank which is indicated generally by the numeral 10", and the shoe blank 10" includes a vamp portion 11"" which is provided with a rearwardly disposed projecting portion 24, and the numeral 13"" indicates a tongue portion which is adapted to be stitched to the projecting portion 24 as at 25. Facing portions 14"" are joined to the tongue portion 13 by fold lines 15"", and quarter portions 16" are joined to the facing portions 14"" by fold or crease lines 17".

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a shoe blank which is especially suitable for use in making shoes of various styles, and for example as shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 the blank 10 can be die cut or stamped out of a single piece of material and this blank 10 is shaped to include the vamp portion 11 as well as the tongue portion 13, and the fold or crease lines 15 separate the facing portions 14 from the tongue portion 13. The quarter portions 16 are separated from the facing portions 14 by the fold lines 17, and there is also provided the cutouts or openings 26 and 27, and the opening 27 may be larger than the opening 26 so that the blank 10 can be used for making a-shoe to fit a particular foot such as a right foot, and it is to be understood that the shoe blank for making the shoe of the opposite foot may have the openings 26 and 27 reversed in order to compensate for the difference between the left and right feet.

folded upwardly along their fold lines 15 as for example from the solid line position of FIGURE 2 to the broken line position of FIGURE 2. Also, the quarter portions 16 are adapted to be folded along their crease lines 17 so that the parts will assume the position shown in FIG- URE 4 and the stitching 20 is adapted to be extended through the overlapping edges of the quarter portions 16 and vamp portion 11 whereby the parts will be maintained immobile in the position of FIGURE 4. A shoe sole assembly can then be attached to the folded and stitched member of FIGURE 4 in any suitable manner so as to provide the finished or completed shoe.

It is to be noted that with the parts in the folded position of FIGURE 4, an opening is provided or defined between the pair of quarter portions 16 and this opening as indicated by the numeral 28 provides the usual opening whereby the person can insert the foot into the shoe or move the foot therefrom. In addition, when the parts are in the folded position of FIGURE 4, the apertures 18 in the quarter portions 16 are in alignment or register with the apertures 19 in the facing portions 14, whereby the usual shoe laces can be extended through these apertures in order to maintain the shoe on the foot in the customary manner.

It is to be noted that in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4 the blank is of one piece construction, that is the vamp portion, tongue portion, facing portions and quarter portions are integrally connected or made of one piece of material. However, in the modification of FIGURE 5, the shoe blank 10' includes quarter portions 16 which are separate from the facing portions 14, and otherwise the use and construction of the shoe blank 10 is generally the same as the previously described shoe blank 10. Thus, when using the shoe blank 10' of FIGURE 5, the facing portions 14' are adapted to be folded upwardly along their fold lines 15, and the overlapping edges of the quarter portions 16 and vamp 11 are adapted to be secured together by stitching at the points indicated by the numeral 20'. The openings 18 and 19 will register when the shoe blank is folded so that the usual shoe laces can be extended or inserted through these apertures or openings.

In the modification of FIGURE 6, the shoe blank 10 is adapted to be used in the same general manner as the shoe blank 10 of FIGURE 1. However, the shoe blank 10 of FIGURE 6 has a different configuration so that for example a different style of shoe will be provided when the shoe blank 10" is properly folded to form the completed article. Thus, the shoe blank 10" includes the straight edges 22 which are not present in the shoe blank 10, and in addition there is provided the slits 21 which extend along the fold lines for a portion of their length, whereby when the shoe blank 10" is folded and stitched, the finished shoe will have different styled slits 21. In addition, the slits 21 function to provide increased resiliency or flexibility for the tongue portion 13 since that area of the tongue 13" between the slits 21 will be able to give or move slightly in order to snugly conform to the configuration of the wearers foot.

Attention is directed to the modification of FIGURE 7 wherein there is illustrated a further modification or different style of shoe blank 10" which is adapted to be folded and stitched in the same general manner as previously described in connection with the shoe blanks 10 and 10 and 10", but it is to be noted that the front ends of the quarter portions 16"" are pointed as at 29 so that the completed shoe or article will have a different style or configuration from those previously described. Thus, it will be seen that different styles of shoes can be made as desired or required by using a shoe blank made according to the present invention. The shoe blank 10" is provided with the slits 21" which function in the same manner as the previously described slits 21, and the facing portions 14" are adapted to be folded along the lines 15", and the quarter portions 16" are adapted to be folded relative to the facing portions 14" along the lines 17. The quarter portions 16" are adapted to be stitched in place at points indicated by the numeral 23.

In the modification of FIGURE 8, the shoe blank 10"" includes the vamp portion 11" which has the rearwardly arranged projection 24, and the separate tongue portion 13"" is'adapted to be stitched to the projection 24 as at 25. The facing portions 14"" are adapted to be folded along the lines 15"", and the quarter portions 16"" are adapted to be folded along the lines 17". The quarter portions 16"" are adapted to be stitched to the vamp portion 11"" as at 30.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes.

According to the present invention it will be seen that a one piece shoe can be cut with one die all in one piece and this is possible due to the novel folding steps previously described.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the space 27 is slightly larger than the space 26 so that the completed shoe made with the blank 10 of FIGURE 1 will fit one foot such as the right foot, and when making the shoe to fit the left foot, the same pattern or blank can be used upside down.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a two piece shoe blank construction, while FIGURE 5 illustrates a three piece shoe blank construction, and it is to be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to one, two or three piece shoe blank constructions.

By making a shoe according to the present invention, the shoe can be made less expensively and with less time or elfort since the shoe blank can be die cut all in one step and then the parts can be folded and stitched to form the completed shoe.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

In a one piece shoe upper blank including a vamp portion and a tongue portion formed integrally with said vamp portion, said tongue portion having opposed side edges converging from the juncture with said vamp portion to the free end of said tongue portion, a facing portion adjacent each of said tongue side edges and formed integrallyrwith said tongue portion, said facing portions each having a side edge spaced from and substantially parallel to the adjacent side edge of said tongue portion, and a quarter portion adjacent said side edge of each of said facing portions and formed integrally with said facing portion, said blank being foldable along said tongue side edges and along each of said facing portion side edges, there being apertures for laces in said facing portions and in the adjacent parts of said quarter portions, said apertures being in registry when each of said quarter portions and the adjacent facing portions are folded together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,178 Keen June 21, 1839 7 1,839,274 Sundean Jan. 5, 1932 1,899,754 Glidden et al Feb. 28, 1933 2,915,835 Snitzer Dec. 8, 1959 

